Never Again
by Crystal Amour
Summary: "I will never smile again." A quiet voice vowed in the darkness. "Never again" Thus begins a deadly search for the one book that contained the secret to controlling the master serum and all else. One person is the key. But who? And why did they disappear?
1. Here?

**Hello! As I wait for reviews on my other stories so I can continue them, I decided to make another one. I had a cool idea last night, as I was playing my guitar under the full moon. I won't tell you what it is yet, but you'll know soon enough. Anyway. There are a few changes in this story. First, this is after the clue hunt, but before the vesper attack. There is no Evan. The Cahills and Holts go to the same school, in the same town in Massachusetts. Amy and Dan are being bullied in school. Hamilton and Madison are popular, as the football captain and the strongest girl in school. Reagan is scorned, bullied and ignored. There will be Jonah, Ian, Natalie, and Sinead in this, but not yet. Oh, I almost forgot the disclaimer(As always). I do not own the 39 clues, nor the characters. Except the mysterious shape. That's mine. Anyway, enjoy and review!**

* * *

"I will never smile again." A quiet voice vowed in the darkness. "Never again." With that, a dark shape placed a rose and a manuscript on a stone, turned, and walked away. As it passed through a small patch of light, the shape's mouth was seen fleetingly. Frozen in a straight line, as if it had seen and felt unimaginable amounts of pain and sadness. As it disappeared into the shadows, it turned. "This I leave for those yet to come." it said, disappearing into the shadows. It dropped a paper on the wet floor. The shape was never seen again.

* * *

Amy's pov~

It was morning, and I opened my eyes to a sunny room in our mansion. I yawned and looked around. Then I realized it was Monday. A school day. I groaned, and sat up in bed. _Not another day of torture!_ I thought sadly. I got up and changed clothes. Then I left the room.

I slid down the banister, and ran into the kitchen. Nellie had plates of waffles on the table, and Dan was inhaling them as fast as he could. I smothered a laugh. At least Dan could still make me smile. It was getting harder and harder to keep a smile on my face, though.

When we finished breakfast, Nellie drove us to school. In the car, I stayed silent, and Dan did too. I gave Dan a comforting smile and a hug, but the smile was fake. I knew he was going through the same things I was. We were both being bullied, and they wouldn't stop.

When we reached the school, we split up, and headed to our homerooms. When I entered mine, I heard my teacher talking. "We have a new student, class! Please welcome Hamilton Holt." I froze, looking around. That was Hamilton, all right. I smiled, a real one. Then I sat down next to him.

When homeroom was over, girls gathered around Hamilton. He had his arm on my shoulder.

"What are you doing, stupid?" one of them addressed me. Hamilton froze.

"Did she just say..." he asked me.

"Yes," I said. He frowned.

"No one says that to my cousin. Even if it is a really distant related one." All the girls frowned. The one who spoke before stepped up.

"You're _cousins_?" Hamilton and I both nodded. "Well then. I guess _you_," she said, addressing me. "Won't be _competition_." _Competiton?_ I thought. _So that's why..._ I looked up, and the girls had already pushed Hamilton away and had led him out of the room.

At lunch, as usual, the kids ganged up on me, and pushed me, making me drop my lunch all over the floor. I stared at them uncomprehendingly. "Why?" I asked quietly. "Why must you hurt me?" They ignored me. "You'll make me never smile again." I whispered.

Hamilton's table was flocked with girls. I looked around the cafeteria. Madison and Reagan were here, too. Madison's table was surrounded by boys and girls. Reagan was sitting with Dan. She flinched as my gaze passed over her. Her eyes had a message in them.

_Do you understand?_ she asked me.

One of the kids at Madison's table looked at her and snorted. Then she whispered to Madison. Madison flipped her hair and ignored Reagan. I walked over to Reagan.

"Why aren't you with her?" I asked.

She shivered. "They ignore me. And they try to bully me. Madison is popular."

"Hamilton's so popular, he didn't even try to help when they attacked me over there." I said. She winced.

"It's so much worse than I thought." she whispered.

_What is?_ I wondered. Reagan didn't let me wait long.

* * *

**What do you think? How's the cliffhanger? And did you like the idea of Amy, Dan, and Reagan being bullied while Hamilton and Madison are popular? Oh, just for Amy/Ham fans, I'm not sure if this will be one of those. Probably not. Maybe, small chance. For Amy/Ian fans, there'll be a bit of romance, not sure how much. Yes, this will end up in a Dan/Reagan, well, probably. Unless I get a lot of people telling me to make it Dan/Madison or Dan/Nat. Anyway, please review! In the third chapter, you'll learn the mysterious figure's identity! So...Get reviewing!**


	2. Oh my

**Hey guys! Um, I really don't have much to say...so...I do not own the 39 clues. Okay, time for the chapter!**

* * *

_Dan's Pov~_

I had just entered my homeroom when I heard my teacher saying, "Today, class, we have two new students. Madison and Reagan Holt."

_Holt?_ I thought. _The Madison and Reagan Holt?_ I looked up to the front of the classroom. It was them all right. I gave a sigh of relief. Reagan grinned at me, and both of them walked over and sat down in the desks next to mine.

As soon as homeroom was over, many of the kids came over to see the new students. "Hey," jeered one boy. "Are you wimps, just like Dan is?"

Madison and Reagan's brows furrowed and they tried to restrain themselves. Reagan was successful, Madison wasn't.

Madison jumped up and pushed her way to the boy. "You know what you are?" she shouted at him. "You're a wimp, trying to pick on my cousin." She made fists with her hands, and she tried to keep herself from punching, but she gave in. She let go, and her fist hit him in the eye. Immediately, it started to swell. Everyone gasped. Madison grinned. The boy disappeared into the bathroom while everyone surrounded Madison.

"That was awesome!"

"Amazing!"

"Wow!" kids kept exclaiming. They forgot about picking on me. Until lunch, that is.

At lunch, Reagan and I were entering the cafeteria when Madison and the others came pushing by. One of them purposely tripped Reagan while she was trying to keep her tray from falling. Instead of getting up immediately, like she would have during the hunt, Reagan just sat there.

"Are you okay?" I asked.

"Well..." she said. "I think I hurt my ankle." I helped her up, and led her to a table. She glared at the kid who'd tripped her. "Why did they do that?" she asked, her face stormy.

"Because you were with me." I said. "They think I'm a wimp and a weakling." She grinned

"Maybe you are..." I frowned. "Just kidding!" she said. I shoved her. She didn't budge. "I'm a Tomas. That won't hurt me." I made a fake sad face. She smiled. Then, she frowned. I looked where she was looking. Amy had entered the cafeteria. The kids were bullying her and making her drop her lunch. Just then, one of the kids from Madison's table looked over and whispered something to Madison. Madison flipped her hair and ignored Reagan.

Then Amy came over. "Why aren't you with her?" she asked.

Reagan shivered. "They ignore me. And they try to bully me. Madison is popular."

"Hamilton's so popular, he didn't even try to help when they attacked me over there." Amy said. Reagan winced.

"It's so much worse than I thought." she whispered.

_What is?_ I wondered.

Reagan sighed when I looked at her. "I guess I'll start from the beginning." she said. I nodded. "It started well, right after the clue hunt. Madison and Hamilton started to change back to the way they were before the clue hunt. They were mean and they ignored me. Hamilton and Madison started making fun of my ballet, something they hadn't done since before the clue hunt. And then...well, ever since then, whenever we started at a new school, they'd ignore me when they got popular. But I've never seen it happen so fast. And now they're ignoring me, and you two." she said heavily. Her eyes were sad.

"So, they're letting you get bullied and doing nothing?" Amy asked. Reagan nodded. Amy shivered. "No. Way."

"I don't know why," said Reagan. "But I think it has something to do with that girl they met one day."

"What girl?" I asked.

"Well," she said, "It was right after the clue hunt, right after the gauntlet just when we got home..."

* * *

_Amy's Pov~short_

"No. Way." I said unbelieving.

"I don't know why," Reagan said. "but I think it has something to do with that girl they met one day."

"What girl?" Dan asked. I watched him and Reagan. They seemed so comfortable together. Then Reagan began to speak and that jolted me out of my daze.

"Well," she said. "It was right after the clue hunt, right after the gauntlet just when we got home..."

_Who was this girl? _I thought as Reagan began to tell us. _And why?_

* * *

**Well, what did you think? This was basically Dan's perspective on the day. But I added a bit more to it. Anyway, I hope you enjoyed it! I'll put up the next one sometimes after Sunday. Maybe Tuesday. I may make it very unclear...Also, please review! Please read my other stories, too, as well as this one.  
**

**ValRocks~I made it longer this time, what do you think? And I will keep posting. I made a new chapter, didn't I? I may make it Dan/Nat yet, but no Nat in this fanfic yet!  
**

**EkatGirl~Well, I've always thought of Reagan as being independent, less than Madison, being well, the underdog. But she'll make the spotlight soon enough!  
**

**iamastar~Well, you know now. And I will keep going.  
**


	3. Lileens? And Kabras?

**Hey guys! I'm on, and I've brought chapter 3 with me! Now, read carefully, because there's a secret hidden in here somewhere. But you have to find it. Okay? **

**Disclaimer~  
Me:Ian, do the disclaimer.  
Ian:I don't want to.  
Me:Do it. Or I'll tell Amy you're a wimp.  
Ian: :( All right. Crystal Amour does not own the 39 Clues nor the characters except the mysterious girl.  
Me:Good. Dan, do you have that on tape?  
Ian:What?  
Dan:Yep!  
Me:Now give it to Amy.  
Dan:All right!  
Ian:No!**

**I couldn't resist. :)**

* * *

_Reagan's pov~  
_

"It was right after the clue hunt, right after the gauntlet, just when we got home." I said quietly. "We were on our daily jog, like we always do, being Tomas, when we saw a girl dressed completely in black standing across the street. I was..." I swallowed hard and continued. "I was nervous, and I didn't trust her, so Ham and Mad went to talk to her without me. They were over there talking a long time, so I made myself go over to see why. The girl was saying something about Lileens, or at least I think it was Lileens, when she saw me. Without another word, she ran off, seeming to just disappear into the shadows. Ham and Mad and I went home, and they seemed normal for another week, but then they started to act strangely, talking about someone named Lilian, Madrigals and something hidden. They also kept looking over their shoulders, and walking away when relative came nearby. I didn't understand their behavior at all. And then...They started to ignore me and pretend I wasn't there." I concluded sadly and shakily.

Silence greeted my words as Dan and Amy pondered this. Then Dan said, "Did you ever manage to catch her name?"

"Huh?" I said. "Oh, yeah. I think her name was Liliana."

"Liliana?" he asked. "That sounds like Lileen and Lilian. Do you think the three names are connected?"

I blinked. As always, Dan's mind was on overdrive, which meant it was on high speed, which was definitely too fast for me, a Tomas, to grasp. Then slowly, I figured it out. "Like Luke and Lucian?" I asked. Amy winced at the word Lucian. Oops.

"Yes," said Dan quickly.

"A sixth branch?" I asked slowly, thinking that over carefully.

"Maybe," said Amy. "Or maybe..." She didn't finish her thought. She just stared at the doors to the cafeteria. Dan and I shared a look, afraid to look. Then slowly we turned to look, and we saw what Amy had seen. There, in the doorway, looking as rich as ever, stood Ian and Natalie.

* * *

_Amy's pov~_

"Or maybe..." I said, about to say something that would have shocked them. But I stopped as I saw something out of the corner of my eye, something I didn't ever want to see again. I turned to look at the entrance to the cafeteria. There, entering like they owned it, were the Kabras.

Immediately, Ian spotted me. He nudged Natalie and said something, and then they began to make their way to us. I stayed frozen where I was, not believing, hoping I was wrong. I wasn't. They were really here. Then, that moment, they reached us.

"Hello, Amy, love." Ian said in his silky voice.

_Stop it!_ I scolded myself. _Don't think about it!_ "Don't call me love, Ian!" I retorted sharply.

Ian ignored my outburst. "You're looking well," He said confidently. "How are things?"

A shiver of happiness that he'd really ask about me ran through me. "They were good," I said. "But I don't know how they are now!"

He winced visibly. That made me smile. But only for a moment. "Amy, love, you don't mean that!" he pleaded.

"Maybe I do!" I retorted back. He didn't say anything to that. He looked rendered speechless, like he couldn't believe the stuttering Amy could act this way. I smiled confidently. "You know, Ian, I have more to say." I said quietly. He perked up very quickly, and sent me his signature smile that had in the past made me stutter. I stood up, and then...

* * *

_Dan's pov~_

_No, no, no, no, no, no! Not the cobras!_ I thought miserably. _Amy had just finally gotten over Ian._ Natalie smirked at me and Ian smiled at Amy. They both ignored Reagan. I didn't think that was fair. She was already being ignored by her family and at school. So I reached out and took her hand, giving it a reassuring squeeze. Natalie stared. I began to smile. Reagan did, too. At least, we smiled until Natalie began to speak.

"Hello, _Daniel._" She said, putting emphasis on Daniel.

I scowled. "It's Dan!" I yelled. "D.A.N. Even a stupid Cobra like you should be able to comprehend that!"

"I am not stupid!" She yelled back. By now people were gathering nearby as the scene grew and more and more yelling took place. "I had the most prestigious tutor in all of England!"

"You're at a _public_ school." I said carefully.

"And your point is...?" she asked. Then she got it. She huffed angrily.

I laughed and Reagan smiled. Then I noticed what Amy was doing. That was what was drawing a crowd. I stared at her. Reagan and Natalie followed my gaze. Reagan giggled and Natalie gasped and gaped. I have never known Amy had that in her.

* * *

**Luverinreadin~ I'm not exactly the best at punctuation, but I'm getting better. And most of those lowercase letters were accidents. But anyway, thanks for pointing those out. And I have a very original plan. I have never seen a story with the same plot I have planned in it. So, don't worry. :)  
**

**addicted2reading9~ Yeah, I seem to often make people feel that way when I write about her.  
**

**As promised, Ian and Natalie have entered the story! The next chapter, where you'll find out what exactly Amy did, is in their povs. Have you figured out who the mysterious figure in the prologue was yet? Here's a hint. It's not Liliana. Just to clear things up, there is NOT a sixth branch of the family. I'm not that boring and dull. No, there's a different backstory for them, which when I get to it, I'm sure you'll find it interesting. But you'll have to keep reading to find it! R and R, guys!  
**


	4. She pushed me?

**Hey guys! On Friday, school's over for me, so I'll be trying to update one chapter a week. Except for June 15th-30th, because I'll be on a trip without internet, so I won't be able to update. Oh, for the chapter to make sense, it's Amy, Ian, then Natalie in povs.  
**

**Disclaimer~I do not own the 39 clues, not the characters. (I am getting tired of saying this)  
**

**Okay! here's the chapter.**

* * *

_Amy's pov~_**  
**

_"Maybe I do!" She retorted back. I didn't say anything to that. I was rendered speechless, I couldn't believe the stuttering Amy could act this way. She smiled confidently. "You know, Ian, I have more to say." She said quietly. I perked up very quickly, and sent her my signature smile that had in the past made her stutter. She stood up, and_ _then..._

I pushed Ian with all my might backwards, just as he was about to kiss my cheek. He fell onto another table, right into a plate of cherry jello which splattered his white shirt. "Stay away from me!" I shouted. "I hate you! You have no idea what you did to me in Korea!"

Ian looked stunned. "But Amy, love-"

"Don't call me love!" I shouted at him, interrupting him. "You never even apologized for it! Just stay away!"

He winced at my tine and then he nodded. "All right...Amy." he said sadly. He turned away, and I felt a pang of something. Something like..._regret?_ I pushed it away, trying to ignore the growing feeling that I shouldn't have done that.

I turned to look at Dan and Reagan, and saw that the whole cafeteria was staring at me. Amy, the girl who stutters and is crazy shy, shouting and pushing a super hot guy into a table? Everyone was shocked. I bit my lip and stared after Ian.

Dan was the first one to recover. "Amy!" he cried. "That was awesome!" I stared at him. "That Cobra deserved it after Korea." He made a mad face. "Not only did he leave us to die," he added this in a quieter voice so only us Cahills could hear. "But he also broke you, and he deserved to be punished."

I looked at him, silently asking him something. _Do you think I did the right thing?_ I asked.

_Yes, of course you did._ He answered. Then I noticed what he was doing.

_Why're you holding hands with Reagan?_

_Natalie and Ian were both ignoring her. And i don't want her ignored. I like her_.

"How do you guys do that?" Reagan asked, surprised.

Dan winked at her. "You'll see soon enough."

I nodded at Reagan. By this time, Natalie had made her way halfway out of the cafeteria. "Natalie, wait!" I called.

"Yes...?" she asked, turning to me.

"I have something to ask you..." I said.

* * *

_Ian's pov~_

I couldn't believe it. Amy, the stuttering, shy girl I had fallen in love with in Korea had _pushed_ me! Me, Ian Kabra!

"Stay away from me!" She shouted. "I hate you! You have no idea what you did to me in Korea!"

"But Amy, love-" I said, about to protest.

"Don't call me love!" She shouted at me, interrupting me. "You never even apologized for it! Just stay away!"

"All right...Amy." I said sadly. I turned away, and as I began to walk away, I was struck by the expression on her face. Sadness, regret, even pain? Did she really mean what she had said?

I left the cafeteria, my heart beating faster than it did even when I was running. I know Mum had made me leave her there, in that cave, but did she really believe that I'd done it because I didn't like her? That kiss was real, I had really meant it. I had meant everything. I did love her. But she thinks I don't.

I heard running footsteps in the hall behind me, and I turned to see the cheerleader captain, Grace, coming towards me. "Ian!" she squealed.

I quickly tried to hide my pain, putting on my silky smooth smile. "Hello, Grace." I said, smiling at her.

She smiled back. "Ian," she said carefully. "Do you want to go out this evening?"

"I'd love to," I assured her.

"See you at eight!" she squealed, as she ran off.

I sighed. If only that had been Amy...

* * *

_Natalie's pov~_

I stared at Amy as she pushed Ian. No one pushes a Kabra! I reached for my dart gun, and then thought better of it, putting it back in my pocket. No reason to cause a scene. I ran after Ian.

"Natalie, wait!" Amy called to me.

"Yes...?" I asked, turning back to her.

"I have something to ask you..." She said, quietly. "Come with me." She led me out of the cafeteria, to a quiet spot in the hallway.

"What is it?" I asked, curious. Amy may have something worthwhile for me.

"It's about Ian..." she said carefully.

I nodded, ready to listen.

"First, I need you to..."

* * *

**What do you think, guys? Is it good? I'll be layering on the fluff in future chapters, so don't get on my back that this doesn't have that much fluff, please. Please R and R!**

**addicted2reading9~I updated, as asked! Now you know. What did you think?  
**

**madrigalprincess1~As I said above, I updated as asked!  
**

**Next chapter is in the Starling's povs!  
**


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